No Title Needed?
by RiaSternchen
Summary: Kazuha Toyama is a gently bred lady who just happened to be in search of true love, when an accident cut her season in London short. Heiji Hattori is a gentleman pretending to work at his aunt's country house to help her in a matter of delicacy. And then they meet...
1. A season's early end

**Author's Notes: I know you're probably waiting for an update on my other stories and I promise I will update them soon. Still, I'm having a huge Julia Quinn phase at the moment and needed to start this story. Please R &R :D  
Thank you!  
I do not own anything...**

 **Chapter 1: A season's early end…**

Miss Kazuha Toyama was a firm believer in true love. She had seen it happen multiple times, even though one could argue she had seen many a marriage without love, as well. Still, she yearned for true love in her own life, especially after her best friend, Ran Mouri – now Lady Kudo- had married a duke she had known her whole life and loved for the better part of it just last month.

Yet, Kazuha must have danced with every suitable gentleman in this ballroom at least four times in the last few weeks and still felt no spark. Ran had described the feeling of love to her once as a tingling sensation. A feeling of knowing when her now husband, Shinichi, was watching her or standing close, comforting and thrilling at once. Kazuha sighed. If love felt like that for everyone, she certainly never felt it before. She only knew when a gentleman drew near because of a cloud of heavy cologne or the foul smell of his breath (even though this particular detail only applied to one certain gentleman who loved to chew raw onions).

Looking around, Kazuha slowly stepped towards the refreshment tables, slyly taking an éclair in her hand, biting her lip. If her aunt, who had taken her in for the season, would catch her eating at a ball, Kazuha would be done for. Turning towards a potted plant, as if admiring its bright colours, she closed her lips around the heavenly dessert, tasting the chocolate filling on her tongue. A small moan escaped Kazuha's lips. She'd either have to get married this season or become a spinster. It just wouldn't do to be banned from those pastries for another season just because a gentleman should not know about a lady's appetite.

"Caught you!" a dark voice whispered next to her ear and Kazuha spun around, a huge smudge of chocolate cream landing on the floor between her and a gentleman, who was currently grinning from ear to ear.

Both of their gazes flew to the stain on the probably expensive carpet before meeting again, silent for a moment. Then they both started giggling. "Good Lord, if Lady Tremaine finds out about this she'll have a fit!" Kazuha laughed, putting the rest of the éclair back onto a small plate on the table. The gentleman next to her grinned again, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Let's vacate the scene and she'll never know it was us!" Kaito Koruba, whispered, offering her his arm and together they strolled towards the dance floor, leaving the chocolaty mess behind them.

Kaito and Kazuha had met in Kazuha's previous season and courted for some time, before realizing they would kill each other in a marriage, at the same time becoming close friends in the process. Kazuha's aunt had visibly breathed a sigh of relief when Kazuha had declared Kaito to be the best friend a lady could have in London – but nothing more. While Kaito was a good- looking man, who was favoured by the ladies for his wit and humour, he was unlikely to inherit a title anytime soon and Kazuha's aunt was aiming higher for her niece.

Kazuha, on the other hand, knew for a fact that she wasn't considered a 'Diamond of the first Water' (since she didn't have golden locks and deep blue eyes like Elizabeth Fearwater) and therefore tended not to aim as high as her aunt wanted her to. She would have been perfectly happy with Kaito or any gentleman lacking in title, fortune or looks – if their match contained love.

"Would you do me the honour of giving me this dance?" Kaito asked, bowing perhaps a little lower than necessary to make Kazuha smile, and offering her his hand.

"I'd be delighted," she told him with a courtesy, putting her hand into his.

As they walked onto the dance floor, however, Kazuha regretted this decision. A waltz started to play and while Kaito surely was charming and handsome, he was nothing short of a catastrophe while waltzing. Glancing at him she realized his mouth setting into a firm line for a moment, before forcing a smile back onto his face.

"Well, at least you already know my lack of skills when it comes to waltzing," he told her, nervously glancing at the other dance pairs around them.

"It won't be worse than at Lady Hillstein's house party last summer," Kazuha tried to cheer him up, but he only grimaced remembering how he had accidentally caused Ran to pour punch over their hostesses' dress. Unfortunately, Kazuha was wrong. The music started and it took Kaito about thirty seconds to bump into another dancer, causing a chain reaction of stumbles and cries, in the end leading to Kazuha unceremoniously crashing into the floor, her ankle twisted in a very uncomfortable way. And 'uncomfortable' was the word her aunt told her to use so she would stop swearing like a sailor, since it hurt so badly.

As they were sitting in a small salon next to the ballroom, Kaito was apologizing for what felt like the hundredth time and Kazuha could hear her aunt muttering to Lady Tremaine, who had taken it upon herself to take care of 'her injured, if clumsy, guest'.

"I believe she won't be able to attend any more balls this season! This will ruin her chances of marrying!" her aunt whispered unhappily, shaking her head in rage and glancing at Kaito, who was holding a cooling cloth to Kazuha's swollen ankle. Lady Tremaine, an unlikable and vain woman in her early forties, nodded her head gravely.

"Even if she could attend the festivities," she told Kazuha's aunt, "who would want to marry her after this? She will be known as inelegant!" Kazuha was sure to hear a hint of satisfaction in the woman's voice, who delighted in the distress of others. Kazuha's aunt sighed and turned towards Kazuha, who ushered Kaito away from her legs before Lady Tremaine could declare his touch to be indecent and make them marry.

"Well, it can't be helped, my dear," her aunt spoke up, looking at Kazuha pityingly. "We'll have to retire to the country. The doctor said your ankle will need about a month to heal and you certainly cannot be seen on crutches around London. We'll leave in the morning! Your season is officially over."

Kazuha sighed. She had not wanted to marry any of the man of the ton anyway, but still felt bereaved of opportunities to make a man want her. She looked at Kaito, who – again- apologized for what happened and waved him off.

"Just come to visit," she told him as he helped her up to get to her carriage.

This could possibly become the most boring summer of her life.


	2. It's the country, my dear

**Chapter 2: It's the country, my dear…**

Heiji Hattori had just had his 29th birthday when his aunt, the only of his relatives he actually liked, wrote to him about her problem. Apparently somebody was trying to get her off her property in the country, at first using childish means like ghost stories and rotten tomatoes, but now evolving into killing animals and writing threatening messages on walls with their blood.

Since Heiji had spent some years in military service, most of them as a spy for the regiment, and had only just returned from duty, his face therefore not well known anymore, his aunt had decided he was predestined to help her. And now he was following her through her home – a comfortable and classy country estate – as her new estate manager.

Most of the staff had never met Heiji in his youth, since his aunt had vast rotations when it came to people getting along with her, but Heiji was quite sure the butler, a sturdy man named Sidwell, as old as the hills, could still remember him from his days in pinafores.

"Nonsense, Sidwell," aunt Lydia had told the man as he inquired about a nephew named Heiji, "why would I employ my nephew as estate manager? Don't you remember he's a military man?"

Sidwell, who eyed Heiji at the word 'military man', making Heiji stray from his normally perfect posture he achieved while training, muttered something like "I have no idea why you would do such a thing, your ladyship," before nodding to Heiji and returning to his duties. Still, the suspicious glance in the older man's eyes didn't vanish.

"I don't think he believed you," Heiji stated as he followed his aunt towards his rooms. She only waved her hand dismissively.

"Oh, never mind. Sidwell has been here for more than twenty years and may think whatever he wants – I don't believe for a second he could be the culprit. And even though he may not trust what's going on he'd never get in the way. He's that discrete."

Heiji frowned but decided to trust his aunt on her butler. If the man had survived more than twenty years with aunt Lydia, he might as well be a saint.

Walking out of the main house, aunt Lydia showed Heiji towards a little cottage a bit aside of the gardens.

"Since you told me you don't want to take residence inside the house this will have to suffice," she told her nephew, gesturing towards the small building. "These were the old stable master's quarters, but he moved out after he married. I hope the horse smell has aired out by now."

Heiji sighed. At least he wouldn't have to justify every step he'd take on the property this way. He nodded and took a closer look at the cottage. "These look more than comfortable, Lady Sommers, thank you very much," he told her loudly as a gardener hurried by some yards away. Aunt Lydia frowned. "I don't think I'll get used to you calling me that. Anyways, I'll see you at dinner. I already told cook that I have known your family for some time and am happy to share my meals with someone familiar." Her tone implied a finality to her decision Heiji had no chance to alter.

As she retreated to the main house he shook his head. Normally, no Marchioness would ever dine with a servant. If anyone would notice his deception it would be because of aunt Lydia's behaviour. At the same time, his aunt had never been conventional. After the untimely death of her husband she decided to withdraw from London society to live in the country permanently. There was a modicum of people left to question his aunt's motives for doing something odd.

Walking into his new 'home' Heiji closed the door behind himself, trying to settle in. This might take longer than he thought.

Kazuha had now spent three days, six hours and twenty-two minutes at her grandmother's country house and it was sheer torment. After her aunt had assured Kazuha's father of the essential need to retire to the country now that Kazuha had embarrassed and injured herself (Of course, persuading her father of that need had not been challenging at all, since he rarely cared as long as he didn't have to take part himself), it was decided that a visit at her grandmother's house was the perfect excuse to leave London. But now both women were practically caging Kazuha, she wasn't even allowed to walk downstairs alone. An old servant had been placed at her disposal to carry her wherever she wanted to go – even the chamber pot. And of course, since Kazuha did not like to inconvenient anybody, especially a really old, nice servant, she had moved as little as possible throughout the last three days, only reading and occasionally chatting with her aunt and grandmother. Still, conversing with them was not at all diverting, but rather diminishing.

Her grandmother would interrogate Kazuha why she had not been married after her first London seasons (she was currently in her third season at twenty years old and, at least her grandmother seemed to think so, practically on the shelf for good), which caused her aunt to react quite defensive – not because she thought it was important to defend Kazuha, but since she took every offense as a personal assault against her skills as chaperone.

"There have been offers," she was just telling Kazuha's grandmother in a high pitched voice (the one she always adopted when she was trying to make her point), "but they were beyond our standards. I only want the best!" After a long pause she then added "For our dear Kazuha," and shot her a sickly sweet smile.

Kazuha rarely took part in the conversation when it strayed in this particular direction, busying herself with embroidery or the fixing of tea.

"Would you like another cup?" she just politely tried to change the subject, looking at her grandmother, who stared back at her as if she was inquiring about a pink horse in the room, before continuing to stroke the fat, spoilt cat in her lap.

"I would most certainly not, child. You should know I never take a second cup for it makes me possibly drowsy, and I cannot afford to sleep away the day!"

Kazuha thought the whole house staff would be happy if her grandmother decided to grace them less with her presence, but she kept her mouth shut and poured her aunt another cup instead, who had just dropped her empty one right in front of Kazuha like she was a servant girl.

"Some more biscuits would be nice as well, Kazuha dear," she added as she returned to converse with grandmother.

So, hobbling on her good leg, Kazuha stood to pull the bell- rope, summoning a maid to fetch more biscuits, when an idea came to her mind.

"Aunt Petunia, now that I've, uhm, rested my leg for some days, don't you think a bit of exercise would do me good?" she asked, trying to look as unaffected by her ankle as possible.

Her aunt who had just been telling her grandmother of all the hardships she had to endure as chaperone, looked up, startled and frowned.

"However would you think to exercise, Kazuha? Don't be ridiculous!"

Kazuha just smiled at her. "I thought I might take a ride. I don't really need my ankle for that."

Her aunt shot her an exasperated glance. "What if you hurt yourself even more? What would your father say?"

Kazuha stifled a groan. She knew exactly what her father would say: Nothing. Her father wouldn't even hear about anything happening in Kazuha's life until it was already over.

"Sit down, child!" her grandmother ordered, looking her over. "It won't do if you overexert yourself."

For a moment, Kazuha thought she had lost. Then she thought of something.

"Maybe you're right," she mumbled, turning towards her previous sitting spot, "I just thought I should do something. One hears about ladies gaining weight when injured so often and I wouldn't want something like that getting in the way of proposals." Kazuha could practically hear the wheels turning in her aunt's head, imagining Kazuha gaining weight, making her even less likely to catch an eligible bachelor.

"Well, dear, now that I think about it, you do look a bit pale; you probably should get some fresh air. And since you cannot walk like that," Petunia gestured towards Kazuha, "riding might be a good idea."

Kazuha wanted to jump with glee. Taking up her book, she curtsied to her family, when her aunt stopped her. "Take a maid with you." Kazuha stopped in her tracks. She just wanted to be alone, for heaven's sake. But before she had to object to her aunt her grandmother spoke up. "Nonsense. My staff is planning a house party this weekend, there are no maids to spare. Kazuha can ride on her own."

Her aunt blanched, shaking her head. "That's not proper at all!" she shrieked.

"Nonsense," Kazuha's grandmother retorted, taking one of the biscuits a young maid had just brought in. "What ever should happen, Petunia? This is the country, my dear…"

After getting all his things orderly in his new space, Heiji decided he had enough time to spare until dinner, so he started to roam the countryside. First, he looked at the gardens and stables, talking to some of the servants working the fields and feeding the animals, introducing himself as the new estate manager, before straying from the immediate surroundings of aunt Lydia's estate towards the outer fields.

Heiji loved talking walks to clear his head, now analysing the talks he had had so far with servants. Most had seemed genuinely concerned about the threats that had been posed, and Heiji hadn't detected anyone who might gain anything from his aunt moving out. Yet.

As he was walking towards a trio of trees standing solitarily on the vast green land, he remembered his aunt telling him about the range of her properties, pointing out these trees as the last parts of her lands before the neighbouring ones began – her neighbour being an old duchess, not very likeable but anyhow respectable.

Suddenly, an odd movement caught Heiji's eye. Someone – a woman, as far as Heiji derived from the clothing- was standing amidst the trees, reigning in a horse, her movement somehow choppy and ungraceful for a lady. She was hobbling on one leg, it seemed, and the horse was trying to free itself from her grasp. As Heiji approached he could hear her curse and he lifted his brows. There was something suspicious about this woman.

"If you don't settle down RIGHT NOW, I swear I'll ask grandmother to turn you into stew!" The woman just exclaimed, while the horse knocked off the cap she was wearing, making her dark brown locks come tumbling down from their updo. "Bloody thing!" she shouted, exhaling angrily, when Heiji spoke up.

"Would you be in need of assistance, my lady?" he inquired, his voice loud and full of authority. While the woman turned her head towards him in shock, even the horse seemed to be startled and slowed its movements. Walking towards her, Heiji simply took the reigns and tied them on one of the tree's branches, before bowing in the woman's direction.

"I'm ever so sorry, I never meant to startle you."

The woman blushed and inwardly, Heiji congratulated himself on his effect on her.

Before she could say something he added. "But if anyone should be started, it might as well be me. Especially since you are on my…" he paused for a moment, considering his words, "my employer's lands," he then finished. She looked around.

"You must be mistaken, these lands belong to my family's properties," she started, her voice somehow warm and still girly.

"I beg to differ," he announced, making a swift motion with his hand, "these trees still belong to Lady Sommers' properties."

The woman exhaled audibly and unceremoniously dropped down on a blanket she must have laid out before he came. "Well, I'm sorry then, but I just wanted to read. And these trees were the only retreat from the sun as far as the eye could see."

Heiji, still standing, awkwardly hovered over her, not sure what to do. When she looked up at him she blushed again.

"I'm sorry, I know this is uncommon, but I hurt my ankle last week, so I can only remain standing for so long. And since this has been the most unconventional meeting so far, anyways, I might just introduce myself. I'm Kazuha Toyama and my grandmother, the duchess of Hastings, lives over there." She gestured towards a huge estate looming at the far end of the fields, looking at him expectantly.

He cleared his throat and stood up straight. "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Toyama, my name is Heiji Hattori." 'Viscount of Wingings' was on the tip of his tongue, but he remembered his new position. "I'm Lady Sommers' estate manager," he added and Miss Toyama smiled at him. "Pleasure," she stated, still looking up at him and Heiji felt so uncommon in the situation, he didn't know what to do next. What would a servant do?

 **Author's note:**

 **So, they've met. What do you think should happen? How do you like the aunts and grandmother? Any thoughts, questions or suggestions?**

 **Please read and review!**

 **Ria :D**


	3. Everybody needs friends

**Chapter 3: Everybody needs friends**

Sitting under a small group of trees, talking to her neighbour's Estate Manager, by far wasn't the most uncommon situation Kazuha had ever found herself in. It had taken about five minutes of persuasion before she had made the man to sit down next to her (pointing out the strain her neck was under because she had to look up at him had done the trick) and another ten minutes until he stopped calling her 'my lady' or some other title.

And now, after spending about half an hour with Heiji, as she had allowed herself to call him, she felt quite at ease. He, on the other hand, still looked a little tense, but still couldn't help but laugh about her rendition of her dancing accident.

"Good lord, I don't think I've felt this entertained this whole week," she declared when their laughter died down. "It's so tense and boring at my grandmother's house, I really need to thank you for lifting my spirits!" she added, smiling at Heiji.

"Always at your service, my lady," he offered, making her frown. "I know you want me to call you Kazuha, but it's not at all proper," he announced and she pursed her lips, causing his insides to clench.

He was in his own personal hell. It had been such a long time since he met a lady that didn't make him want to flee the room because of her insignificant stories and horribly shallow character, let alone sit down on a field and chat amicably. And to top things off he was aware of every movement she made: The way her fingers would catch her loosened hair that floated in the soft breeze, the way her eyes would roam the countryside and of course those damned lips that smiled at him innocently. It was just his luck to meet a proper lady just when he wasn't a proper Viscount but a servant.

"Oh, come on now, Heiji," she crossed her arms in front of her, making him frown now – not only because of her frequent use of his given name, but also because now he also realized the way her breasts were straining against her chemise. Heiji took a deep breath.

"You are a lady and this isn't proper at all," he started again, "I don't even know how your grandmother could let you leave unattended. There could be anybody out and about!"

Kazuha just huffed. "Please, I've been coming here since I was a little girl. Nothing ever happens here!" she exclaimed, her hand waving around. "We've been sitting here for nearly an hour and no one came by. And I don't care about titles, I just need a friend to survive my stay!"

Heiji suddenly tensed. "We can't be friends!" he told her, his voice harsher than he intended.

He stood up and her eyes followed him. How could he have been so stupid? For a few minutes there he had forgotten why he was at his aunt's place, pretending to be someone else. There was someone dangerous roaming the premises and he couldn't be friends with her if he wanted to keep up the act.

Still, the hurt look in her eyes made him flinch. Stretching out his hand he helped her to her feet, steadying her until she found balance on her hurt ankle.

"Why can't we be friends?" she asked him, and she was still so close he could feel her breath on his face and smell the aroma of lemon on her hair.

"I'm a servant," he told her and she shrugged very un-ladylike.

"I don't care."

"I don't want to be your friend," he tried again, taking a step back from her.

"Everybody needs friends and you just got here," she pointed out, and Heiji wondered how much he had told her about himself without even noticing.

Leading her towards her mare, he gripped Kazuha around her waist and helped her up, handing the reigns to her. "It's not your decision," he mumbled and turned around.

"Have a nice day, my lady," he added and without turning around again started to walk back to his aunt's mansion.

"We will be friends!" he heard her calling after him, "And the name is Kazuha!"

"Don't come here unescorted again," he just shouted, waving her off without looking back.

When Heiji arrived back at his quarters, it was already dinner time. Hurrying to get presentable again, he washed up and quickly made his way to the house, where his aunt was already waiting in the dining room.

"So nice of you to join me," she told him pointedly as he entered, "I've been waiting nearly five minutes!"

Heiji grinned. Normally his aunt was anything but a stickler for punctuality, but she was never late for a meal. "My apologies, Lady Sommers, I was acquainting myself with the lands and forgot the time."

His aunt frowned, glancing at the maid who had swiftly brought in the food and was now leaving the room to get more wine. As soon as nobody else was there his aunt spoke up. "Nonsense, Heiji, you've been here your whole youth. What would take so much time?"

Heiji chuckled, tasting a bit of the roasted duck on his plate, and leaned back on his chair.

"While I was out I met your neighbour's granddaughter, Lady Toyama," he stated, excluding her unescorted state.

"The granddaughter of the Duchess of Hastings?" Aunt Lydia inquired before taking a sip of wine. "I thought she was already out in society. Why would she be here and not in London?"

Heiji shrugged. "Apparently, she hurt her ankle in a little accident last week." A small smile formed on his lips remembering her rendition of stumbling and falling dance pairs all around her. 'It was a chain reaction of tripping colourful silk, and I assure you, a chorus of very lady-like squeals. I wish I could say the same thing about my own outcry when Lady Arabella tripped me in the end!' she had told him, making him laugh out loudly.

Aunt Lydia narrowed her eyes on him. "You certainly know a lot. So you talked to her?"

Heiji straightened his face and sat up again. "I needed to know why she was on your property. She could have been the one terrorizing you, for all I know."

"But you don't believe that now?"

"One would have to be a grand actor to fool me- and I assure you that girl doesn't have what it takes."

Aunt Lydia shook her head. "You are so full of yourself, my dear."

"How well do you know the Duchess of Hastings anyways?" Heiji asked, trying to steer the conversation away from Kazuha.

"Oh, Lavinia and I have known each other for many years. We were good friends in our youths, but she has always been very strict and proper. She never even allowed you and Kazuha to play together when you were both visiting over the summer as children."

Heiji set down his fork and looked at his aunt. "And do you believe she might want you gone?"

He realized his aunt paled a little, before regaining her posture.

"No, Heiji, definitely not. There is no way Lavinia has anything to do with these horrible things and I don't want you to look into her as the culprit."

"Aunt Lyddi, you really need to let me," he started just as the maid returned to the room.  
"No, Mr. Hattori," his aunt stopped him, dapping her mouth with a napkin, "that is not part of your duties," she sternly called out. Heiji already knew that tone of voice. It was her 'This is my last word so don't bring it up again'- voice.

She then turned towards the maid and smiled at her.

"Julia, please tell Cook the food was excellent as always," she told the maid, who bowed and hurriedly started to clean the table, while aunt Lydia stood up.

"Well, this was lovely. It's nice not to have to dine alone. I hope you'll join me for dinner tomorrow," she nodded to Heiji and left the room.

The girl, a small blond one, breathed a sigh of relief when aunt Lydia had left the room. Heiji eyed her suspiciously, taking his plate and adding it to her tray.

"Are you alright?" Heiji inquired, making her stare at him with huge grey eyes.

"Oh, of course. I'm sorry," she mumbled, bowing her head a little.

"Is Lady Sommers scaring you?" he wanted to know, and she shook her head frantically.

"Of course not. I'm just new here. I'm still a bit clumsy and I don't want to loose my position," the girl, Julia, told him before picking up the tray. "Thank you for helping me!" she added, before hurrying out of the room. Heiji just stared at the door closing behind her, lost in thought.

When Kazuha arrived back, her aunt was furious. "You've been gone for at least two hours, I thought something happened to you!" she exclaimed in a shrill voice, making the stable boy subtly rub his ear behind her back. Kazuha suppressed the urge to smile.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Petunia, have you been looking for me?"

Her aunt's cheeks coloured a little and she turned away. "Don't be foolish, Kazuha. We were merely deciding how to proceed. I mean, you weren't even gone for two hours, sending someone to look for you would have been a complete overreaction."

Kazuha rolled her eyes. Of course her aunt had not been looking for her. She had probably been lounging in the rose room since her grandmother had left after tea, only realizing how long Kazuha had been gone when she heard the horse's hoofs on the way to the stables.

"Well, you're back now, so get ready for dinner. Your grandmother invited the local vicar," her aunt added, before heading back to the house.

Kazuha sighed. The only person definitely making a dinner worse than her grandmother and aunt was the local vicar. Tonight everything she'd say would lead to a sermon about sin or forgiveness.

Hobbling towards the house she sighed again. At least she could think about ways to make Heiji her friend. Because if there was one thing Kazuha knew for sure it was that Heiji Hattori would become her friend, no matter what.

End of Chapter 3

 ** _Thank you for reading! Please read and review! I love reviews!_**


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